My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?

The 4th word / phrase from the cross is one of the difficult passages, as that creates more doubt in my mind about God's presence with me at all times.

I was asked to speak in the church today on this word and my first reaction to this was: "My God, My God - why this passage out of the 7?"
But I am so glad, I was asked to preach on this, as I learnt something new and very important for my Christian faith.

The common understanding of this passage is: Because Jesus was carrying the sins of the world; the Father couldn’t bear to see it, because He is a Holy God – which is why He turned His face away!
While it’s a good concept, I always found it very hard to believe … because God came in search of men, who were sinful - in fact, it started off like that in the Garden of Eden, when Adam & Eve sinned.

Also, when Jesus was on this earth physically, He made a very bold declaration in John 8:29 – “The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him”

Now on the Cross, was Jesus doing what God wanted Him to do? Absolutely!!
- Then why did God leave Him?

It doesn’t make sense that God would leave Jesus alone, on a Mission which was His initiative?

And if that's true, I have a problem with that because I am committed to the Great Commission - and as per Matt.28:18-20 He promises He will be with me always, even to the very end of the age.

But if God deserted Jesus while He was on the cross, there is no assurance, that He will be with me, while I endlessly pursue the Great Commission!
If God can forsake Christ, He can certainly do that to me, because I am not perfect!

I would like to explain 2 things here:

1) Did God really forsake Jesus – at that point?

I would say ‘NO’ – not really!

Naturally, the next question then is: Was Jesus lying? - well, an EMPHATIC 'NO' to that as well!

So, how do we get around it?

A good Hermeneutics (~ the art of interpreting the Scriptures) when dealing with difficult passages is always allow the Scriptures to interpret Scriptures - because the Scriptures don't contradict itself!

So I look at where else this phrase is repeated?
Psalm 22:1,2 - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent"

What Jesus is doing here is adapting a common rabbinic teaching technique known as REMEZ (a Hebrew word ~ hint).

By the way, the English word 'reminiscence' comes from this root!

- This particular technique alludes to / hints at something which would have been known on that day, by the majority of Jewish people – given the fact, that they knew the entire Hebrew Scriptures by memory (the Torah & the Psalms).

Similar, to how people respond now-a-days with 'ALL THE TIME" when we say, “God is good …”

Jesus used this technique on quite a few occasions during His ministry and here at the Cross, it's no different - because He is telling people (without actually telling them, but making them think), that this is NOT THE END!

Take a look at Psalm 22:

Vs.4,5 – “In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed”.

The Jewish people, though slow in picking things up (including the disciples), would have certainly understood what Jesus meant at that time and would have reflected on the Psalm.

The Roman soldiers and others were unaware of the Scriptures, so they kept taunting Him.

Vs.7,8 – is what they have been doing to Him – mocking Him, taunting Him, hurling insults …

The whole Psalm is a reflection of what God can do, when things are looking bleak.

2) Secondly, have you ever noticed that when we go through struggles, it always seems to be the biggest struggle ever, in the face of the earth? Be it a cold or a headache?

And it feels like God has left us alone to battle it out.

I am not saying that Jesus is doing that here – but as I had mentioned earlier, He’s getting them to think that this is not the end.

- The call is to see the problems in God’s perspective & not be bogged down by it.

For eg: if you place a small coin against a big table – the table looks considerably big. But when the small coin is kept against the eye, the table (which is much bigger) is covered – and we can’t see it!

Our problems are like that compared to a God who is big – but we don’t see Him, because we put the problems so much in front of us.

The famous story – FOOT PRINTS ON THE SAND (Mary Stevenson)

“One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

So, though it seems like God is far off – realistically He is there.

Jesus knew His Scriptures and He quoted Scriptures right throughout His life-time - from the beginning, when He was 12 yrs. old, when He interacted with the Religious leaders; and in the wilderness when satan tempted Him; and during His ministry ...

And on the Cross, it was no different – He was quoting Scriptures …

Jesus said these words only once … but it’s echoing all over the world every time, as people say it all the time - and usually quoting it out of context.

And in times of trouble for us – rather than, just quoting half the Scriptures and sulking in our problems .. it’s time, we realize the fullness of His Word and see the Lord’s presence carry us through that struggle – as we see Jesus come through victoriously from the Cross.

God did not abandon Him and He wouldn't do that to us as well!

'Real' Fear or 'Realistic' Faith

I haven't posted anything here in a while, as things have been busy ... but I came across this article, which I had written for a magazine, where I was working earlier and I thought, it's a good one to put up here:

There’s never a place where ‘fear’ & ‘faith’ can co-exist in its totality. There are umpteen scriptures which talk about an ‘either-or’ situation, both explicitly & implicitly.

Fear is natural & so real; whereas faith is unnatural & optimistic – yet, it can be realistic!

Everyone has a certain measure of fear – to fear is human.

But when that fear start to dictate terms, we dwell on that reality and DOUBTS creep in – that’s why it’s so important for us to develop a habit of focusing on that which help us nurture our faith – so, we can look beyond the natural, which causes us to drown at times.

Faith can be as real as fear is!

The study for this issue is taken from: Matt.14:22-34 – ‘JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER’

BACKGROUND INFO:

The incident prior to this event was Jesus feeding the 5,000+ crowd.

In vs.15, the disciples seemed very concerned for the people, who were with them this long. However, Jesus didn’t panic.

In fact, in vs.18 – Jesus directs the people to sit down for a meal.

Note that Jesus did this job? Why didn’t the disciples do it? Well, this is a faith project and the disciples showed that they didn’t have much of it – they were perhaps ‘grumpy’.

If the disciples would have been told to do so, they would have gone into the crowd and said something like this: “Look, we told him, but He insists we sit down for a meal. There’s only 5 loaves and 2 fish – so, if you want a piece of that food, you better be the first in line otherwise it wouldn’t last for too long”

That would have surely dampened the spirit in the crowd & probably a stampede would have occured. The Disciples didn’t even expect Jesus to meet this need.

It’s in this context we read the passage before us (please read the scripture, before you proceed further):

From this passage there are 2 things which are evident: FEAR & FAITH

1) FEAR

There are 2 expressions of fear. One involved all the disciples, and the other involved Peter. Both circumstances were so real and it justified their fear.

How is it that the disciples didn’t recognize someone who was so close to them? Whom did they cry out to anyway?

THEIR RESPONSE IN FEAR:

On both occasions, they pray out instantly – it was neither fabricated nor fancy, but straight to the point. And note that the answer was immediate too!

Peter, being a fisherman must have known some swimming. Why wasn’t he ready to swim back to the boat, or even towards Jesus, when he began to drown? What does that show about his faith in Jesus? When Peter was drowning did reality matter or the words of Jesus? What are its implications?

2) FAITH

Jesus demonstrated faith; Peter demonstrated it; and so did the people at Gennesaret, when they brought the sick to Jesus to be prayed for, believing in His ability to cure.

WHAT MADE THEM TICK?

*** Jesus developed a life-style of balancing His time with:

· the Disciples – in Private with the 12 and the inner circle – Peter, James & John

· the People – in Public

· the Father – in Prayer (this discipline being the key)

The prayer aspect enabled Him to keep His focus right at all times. He was never too busy to spend time with the Father, in spite of being extremely busy with the people. Here we see Jesus sending the disciples & the crowd away to go up on a mountain to pray. He was there from evening until the fourth watch – a long time since he started praying.

Info: An evening time is before the commencement of the ‘watch’. There are 4 watches during the night as per the ancient custom. First watch is from 6-9 pm; second watch from 9-12 midnight; third watch between 12-3 am; & fourth watch from 3-6 am.

Jesus went up the mountain in the evening and returned only during the 4th watch of the night. As per the above time-frame, even if we calculate the end of 'evening' and the beginning of the 4th watch .. Jesus spent time alone with the Father for about 9 hrs.

*** Peter’s faith must have been spurred to action, by him confirming his call at this juncture.

Vs.28,29 – Seems like Peter is asking a dumb question. At least, it seems like it. A ghost (as they feared it was!), could have easily said COME too! So, what is Peter trying to do?

Perhaps trying to associate this word ‘COME’ with his call (cf. Matt. 4:18-20).

Faith is not being blind to the situation around us nor is it being presumptuous – it’s a trust in a God, who is Almighty & Sovereign (cf. Heb.11:1).

HOW DO WE CULTIVATE THIS FAITH IN THE MIDST OF FEAR?

1) Meditate on His Word

Rom.10:17 – “…faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ…”

- Let’s make a commitment to read His Word (Bible) on a regular basis & meditate on it.

2) Meditate on His Works

Faith is built as we reflect on His goodness in the past

- Let’s analyze our life to see how He has proved Himself in the past – this will give us the confidence in taking the step of faith NOW and in the future.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

From the Passage:

** Vs.22,23 – There was a huge crowd – 5000 men + women and children. Jesus sends the disciples on their way first and then dismisses the crowd? Why didn’t Jesus let the disciples disperse the crowd, or why didn’t they volunteer to do that, before they left that place?

** Vs.31 – Peter chastised for doubting. Actually, he’s the one who took the step of faith. The 11 disciples didn’t even venture, but they were spared. Why is this directed at a man who once took that bold step of faith? What does it say about the life of faith?

** Vs.32,33 – It could have been so tempting for Peter to raise his collar and grab all the attention once they stepped back into the boat. The disciples could have praised Peter for his effort – but, they show exemplary model in worshipping Jesus. What does this say about the attitude of the disciples and Peter?

** Vs.35,36 – The people at Gennesaret passed the message about Jesus immediately and brought many who were sick. This is in sharp contrast to the disciples, who had been with Jesus all along and saw all that He did and still failed to comprehend His true nature – here were some simple folks, who believed & passed the word around so quickly and saw many healed. What does this say about our responsibilities in fulfilling the Great Commission in South & Central Asia and beyond?

From other Scriptures:

Mark 4:35-41 (*40) – Can fear exist, when there is faith? What is Jesus saying to the disciples regarding believing in His ability, after experiencing His goodness?

Mark 5:21-43 (*36) – Is it possible to believe the words of God in faith, when the reality is totally different? What makes it possible or impossible?

Mark 10:46-52 – Blind Bartimaeus receives his sight. Jesus declares that his faith has made him well – he did have reasons to fear, when the disciples and the others rebuked him in vs.48, when he cried out to the Lord? What made him persist?

Get the basics right

"Leaders are those who do the basics right" - this was a statement that came out of my mouth last week at the Leader's Training in Ahmad Nagar, when I was speaking to a group of 70 lay-leaders in that city, while teaching on "SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES" and the importance for such a thing in our day-to-day life.

It wasn't prepared or planned, but it just came out .. and while I was still saying it, the reality and its profound meaning hit me, and I decided to dwell on it a little bit more upon return.

And sure enough, I didn't have to wait for too long.

I Thess. 4:1-12
There are 2 things which Paul is encouraging the church in Thessalonica to do, in spite of them doing those anyway.
a) vs.1,2 - living in order to please God
b) vs.9,10 - loving one another


The question is why would Paul urge the Thessalonians to do something which they have already been doing?

The book of Thessalonians has got to do with the lack of 'hope' in the church, concerning their understanding of 'The Coming of the Lord'.
Out of the 3 cardinal virtues of Christianity: love, faith & hope - they seemed to be slightly short on 'hope'.

And Paul is urging them to keep on doing the 2 in which they are good at while focusing on the 3rd one.
Why was that important?
Wasn't it good enough to concentrate on the one which they were low at, so that can be brought to par?


I think the words of Jesus throws light into such a thought.
The 2 greatest commandments which Jesus highlighted in Matt.22:37-40 / Mark 12:30,31, supports the idea that those were vital and it has to be continued and not neglected for the sake of the other.


I like sports and love to watch the game on TV.
And often, what I noticed is the thing that makes a winner in any game, be it: Lawn Tennis / Cricket / Badminton / Table Tennis / Football / etc. - the winner is always, the person who has committed very few errors on the basics.
And it boils down to that in our Christian life as well.

Seriously, if we do the basics right, then the other mountain like challenges which face us, will not pose a threat.
It's simple, yet vital!

Are we getting the basics right in our walk with the Lord?
If not, it's time to get back to it.

Everyday Frustrations

Yesterday we had some friends over and we decided to meditate and pray for a while in the morning. Nothing in particular, we decided to meditate on Psalm 64:1-10 (full chapter).
I thought i will put down some of the thoughts we reflected upon from these verses.

As usual, the Psalmist (David on this occasion), begins with him raising his voice in complaint regarding the conspiracy of the wicked, which he had to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Though the first 2 verses summarizes his view of wickedness, we see that it takes him further into details of what they do.

One of the things I notice about the Psalms we read in the Scriptures, is the fact that it is very relevant to what we go through today.
It captures our emotional struggles, it accentuates our miseries, it exposes our vulnerabilities, sees our mental tortures and more importantly, connects with our day-to-day frustrations.

However, the good news is that the Psalm doesn't finish there.
Though most of the Psalms, starts off with some sort of a negativity and looking at ourselves and how weak we are in the face of oppositions .. there is always a brighter side to it, when the Psalm concludes. And this Psalm (64) is no exception.

vs.3-6 focus in detail the things which the evildoers are inclined to doing.

And out of the blue, in vs.7 - there is a ray of hope, as it starts off with a huge contrast - B..U..T
It's huge in the context, because from dwelling in a place of 'no hope', there suddenly seems to be a greater sense of purpose to life.
And it's not because he experienced something out of nothing, but he chose to put his focus on the right things / the right place / the right person.

Look at the change in perspective in vs.7-9 in response to the negative thought displayed in vs.3-6 - there is a counter for every negative thing spoken.
(the negative thoughts in RED COLOUR; and
the positive thoughts in GREEN COLOUR)

vs.4a - "They shoot from ambush" (in other words, they wait in ambush to attack the innocent)
vs.7 - "God will shoot them with arrows suddenly ..." (God will suddenly strike them)

vs.3a - "They sharpen their tongues like swords" (to cut & injure others)
vs.8a - "God will turn their own tongues against them & bring them to ruin" (but they are destroyed by themselves)

vs.5b - "They say, 'Who will see them?'" (they want to do in hiding, so no one watches what they do to the innocent)
vs.8b - "All who see them will scorn" (but God does it in the open for all to see)

vs.4b - They go about without fear of anyone
vs.9a - When God acts, all mankind will fear His Name - the Lord God Almighty

vs.6 - They devise their own plans and call it perfect
vs.9b - God's people will ponder on the works of God and proclaim His works

The more we dwell on things which are threatening to us; or looming large in front of us, the more we tend to give in-to such troublesome thoughts & are weighed down.

Let's focus on the positive things .. that God is with us and all the schemes of the evil ones will not prosper.
Whatever they planned will befall them - "... the evil scheme they had devised ... should come back onto their own head" (cf. Esther 9:25)

Let's rise up to the occasion and rather than looking at the evil around us and talking about it, let's praise the Lord as the Psalmist ends his Psalm in vs.10 - "Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him!"

Is the Lord among us or not?

Does this question sound familiar?
Does this phrase (Do these words) exist in our vocabulary?

Well, I am just quoting a part of the Scripture verse here. These are the exact words used by the Israelites in their journey towards the Promised Land.

Exodus 17:7 – “And Moses called the place Massah (~ testing) and Meribah (~ quarreling) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

- It was not soon after the Israelites were delivered from a raging Pharaoh …
- It was a few days after God stunningly made way in the Red Sea …
- It was right after God provided them with water at Marah …
- And right after the divine provision of Manna & Quail …

How easy it was for these people to forget all that they had seen and experienced in the last few weeks and to grumble against God?
The question in their mind was not whether God would provide for them or not, but doubting His very presence.

When these people left Egypt, God’s presence guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and by a pillar of fire at night.
Exodus 13:21,22 – “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people”.

In the very presence of God, they were able to grumble about God’s existence amidst them.
I don’t think the pillar of cloud or the fire had departed at this stage, quoting from Nehemiah 9:19 – “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take”.

Surely, God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (cf. Deut.31:6)

There are 3 things which we can do, to ensure that His presence is there with us, and that we see Him at all times:

a) Focus on what is there, rather than what is not there – The children of Israel forgot to see what was there, but were focusing on something which they didn’t have.
b) Focus on the big picture rather than the present crisis – The immediate crisis should in no way hinder our overall perspective about our life
c) Let God be in control and don’t take over – With the Lord’s presence guiding them, it should have been easier. Just a few days ago, the presence of God led them to Elim (cf. Ex.15:27), where there were 12 springs & 70 palm trees. And this time the presence of the Lord led them to Rephidim (cf. Ex.17:1). Clearly the Lord knew what He was doing … perhaps it was a test (cf. Ex.16:4b – “… in this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions”).


The fact that these people were thirsty (17:3), shows that the struggles in this world will be there, even when we are lead by the Lord.
But the key is always in how we respond.

Let’s keep His presence our focus and let Him be in-charge .. and He will surely navigate us through the storms of life

Recognizing His Presence

A sequel to: "GOD IS THERE / GOD IS HERE"

In my earlier devotional, I presented a thought that we could be oblivious to the fact that God's presence is with us, when we are in a time of crisis.

And this thought stems right out of that concept, to emphasize that it is indeed very much possible to recognize His presence, during such times - though often times we fail to see Him then.

Here's a couple of thoughts on how we can break that trend, and see Him when we need Him the most.


We pick up on Jacob's story again after he rued the fact that he hadn't recognized God's presence earlier - cf. Genesis 28:16b - "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it"


4 chapters later ... Jacob is now returning back to his hometown, the land of Canaan (Genesis 31:17,18), after spending a few years working for his Uncle, Laban - who now becomes his father-in-law.


Genesis 32:1,2 - "Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is the camp of God!'".

It's an interesting passage, because here's a man who didn't recognize God .. but in this particular instance, without any introduction from the angels, he recognized them as God's hosts.

And a few hours later that night in vs.22-31 (*26) - we see that Jacob recognized God, who appeared in the form of a man and wrestled with him.

So, herein lies the assurance that it is very much possible to move from a place of NOT recognizing God, to a place of seeing Him no matter how He appears or reveals Himself.

The disciples reveal an attitude in that they found it hard to believe in Jesus, when He appeared in a form that was not familiar to them (cf. Mark 4:41; 6:49).


How was that possible, with Jacob?
Things hadn't changed much with him on the outside.
The departure scene had nothing much to ride home about, as Jacob fled without bidding proper farewell (31:20,21) - in fact, he was running away from his father-in-law, when he had gone to shear his sheep (31:19).
And his wife Rachel, stole her father's household gods (vs.19), which Jacob didn't even know about (vs.32).
So, overall it was NOT a very pleasant atmosphere in that household - height of deception, cheating, lying, etc.

And the trend with Jacob seems to continue on, in that he is selfish and looks for his own personal gain.

But, what went right for Jacob this time around - which enabled him to see the presence of God with him?

I think the key is in a restored relationship, which should be pursued in God's spirit.
Let me explain.

In chp.28:16 - Jacob didn't realize God's presence, as he just comes from a strained relationship with his brother, after having deceived him in at least a couple of occasions - once when he made him sell his birthright to him and secondly, when he received the blessing from his father Isaac, pretending to be Esau.


But over the years of staying with Laban, he had proved faithful to his Uncle, and served all those years for his wives .. and now eventually, at God's Word (cf. 31:3), he's headed back to the land of his father.
Jacob headed back to his hometown, on the basis that God told him to do that.
So, the first principle in recognizing God is doing what God wants us to do.

- Are we doing what He is asking us to do? If so, the chances of recognizing Him are very high.


The second principle is setting relationships right.

Jacob had a couple of relationships, which he needed to work on:
a) with Laban, his father-in-law (31:45-55).
- Though this relationship mend came about Laban taking the initiative and his submission to God's dream in vs.24 - nevertheless, it was set right now.

b) with Esau, his brother (32:1-21)
- with Esau he had just made up his mind to set things right, by paying a price (32:13-21).


Not surprisingly, on both occasions when the relationship was restored or when it was on the verge of being restored, he was able to recognize the presence of God.


The question is obviously, are we running away from a strained relationship as Jacob did in the first place, when he failed to see His presence; or
Are we in the process of setting things right .. and as a result seeing the very presence of God in our day-to-day routine and/or circumstances?

God is There / God is Here

As we enter into the Advent season, we all will get very familiar with the word "Immanuel" ~ God with us!
Is this notion, just during this season or is God always with us?
Though we emphatically proclaim that "He is with us", do we realistically live that during the rest of the time?

Scores of references in the Scripture would suggest that people found it difficult to realize that God was with them.

Mark 6:45-56 (*49) - when Jesus walked on the water and came towards them at the 4th watch of the night - the disciples didn't recognize the Saviour!

Luke 24:13-31 (*16) - the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with Him and talked with Him, but didn't realize that it was the Messiah, that they were talking with!

Luke 24:36-49 (*37,41) - the 11 disciples saw Jesus appear in their midst in the upper room and thought He was a ghost!

Matthew 11:1-15 (*2,3) / Luke 7:17-28 (*19,20) - John the Baptist, who so authoritatively proclaimed or introduced the Messiah into the world (cf. John 3:22-36), also had his share of doubts!


From times immemorial such questions lingered in the hearts of people, which is why God revealed Himself through His Name - JEHOVAH SHAMMAH ~ The Lord is there!
(cf. Ezekiel 48:35).


In response to this doubt, the Psalmist and many other OT prophets uttered the very Words of God to assure us of His presence with us.

Psalm 46:5-7 - "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her ... The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Refuge"
Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with singing"
Zechariah 2:5 - The Lord Himself declares, "I will be under her a wall of fire round about, and will the glory in the midst of her"


And the classic example of all these is found in Genesis 28:16, right at the beginning of life after the covenant promise - "When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it".

How is it possible?
How come Jacob didn't recognize God's presence?

These are some of the questions we can ask when we read this story.
But there's more to it, than just this verse - Jacob was actually running away, after having deceived his brother, and was quite taken aback when He felt God's presence.

But don't we do the same thing with our life today?
Do we see Him there? Do we recognize His presence with us?
Or, are we running away too and are pleasantly surprised that He is still with us!


The Lord's presence is very much with us, not just during this advent season .. but at all times, as per His promise.

And I am reminded of the famous story of the "Footprints in the Sand" to reinforce the thought that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.



Click on the picture to the left to see an enlarged version of the same for clear visibility.

God looks beyond our crisis

My last devotional ended with a thought that "At times of crisis in life, it will become clearer as to who we are going with".

A crisis situation, is when we are NOT in total control, as we would like it to be.
We are caught in the muck and are struggling to get out, if there is a way out.
Usually that's when we doubt our faith, our vocation, our belief in God & the promises we hold on to, etc. etc. etc.

We are now in the book of Genesis, where God initiates the covenant promise with Abram.
All is not well with Abram as he sojourns with God.

After his nephew Lot had chosen the best lot (cf. 13:11) - God gave Abram the whole lot (13:13-17), as we saw in the earlier devotional thought.


In chp.15, we see Abram struggling to accept the promise which the Lord gives him.
vs.1 - "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward".

And that's because he is caught in the muddle here. He cannot look beyond his present situation.
Abram is well advanced in years .. perhaps 85 yrs. old (16:16 - Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born to Hagar).
It's a good 10 years from the time when the promise was first given to Abram in 12:1-4, that He will make him into a great nation.
At this stage, Abram is not even a father to ONE, let alone a nation!

Coming back to Chp.15 - Abram now thinks that this promise 'to be his heir', could be for his servant, Eliezer. But the Lord assures him otherwise in vs.4 - "This man will NOT be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir".

That's an encouraging factor .. but then he misinterprets that in Chp.16, when his beautiful wife Sarai, suggests that he takes his maid and has a son - who could be his heir.
Sounds a cheeky advice .. but the promise of the Lord was still a bit vague, as He had said it will be a son coming from his own body - note: no mention of Sarai here!


However, going back to chp.15:8 Abram still confused about this particular promise. And this is where God re-assures Abram of what He is going to do.
God puts Abram to sleep (vs.12 f.), and He allows a dreadful darkness to come over him and then He speaks what is to happen several centuries later - with the children of Israel going into captivity, followed by the redemption under Moses, which is 8-10 generations later.

Now, here is Abram struggling to get a hang of what is going on right now .. and God is assuring Him of something which is going to happen way beyond him.
Abram didn't find a direct answer, but in God's big picture, is the answer to Abram's immediate.
And it took another 14 years or so, before the promised son, Isaac - comes about.


Moses, in Deut. 9:4-6 highlights this very assurance to the 2nd generation of Israelites who are about to go in and possess the promised land. So, what God assured Abram is now being fulfilled and along the way, the promise to Abram is also fulfilled.

I tend to look for solutions immediately for my nagging problem or my current crisis. But when God gives me an answer into the distant future, I don't like it .. as I want something now.

When I went in for a corrective surgery on my leg a few years ago, I had 3 people confirm through dreams they had about me that I was walking around and playing with my kids at the end of it.
When I heard about those dreams, I didn't make much of it as it sounded a bit odd - as I didn't expect anything untoward to happen to me.
But little did I realize, that things would take a massive turn during the course of my hospitalization, and it ended up being a dreadful path.
But through that time, I was assured of the fact, that God is in control .. as I had an answer that I would be walking around again - though it's different - I am walking nevertheless!


How about you?
Are you in a crisis right now?
Are you hearing God talk to you something into the immediate or distant future, which you don't understand now?
Don't worry - the answer to your current situation is in that, as well as a hope for your future.

Let's not give up - there's light at the end of the tunnel, because God is there.

He certainly looks beyond our current situation which you and I can't see.
Let's go with Him / let's trust in His promises and see the fulfillment.

Who are we going with?

I am an administrator; hence I am highly motivated to 'plan well'.
Whatever it is that which I do, I like it planned & well at that, especially when it's in my control.

Even travelling for a day or two out of my home, i like to make a list of THINGS TO DO before I leave, so I don't miss out on anything.
I hate, when I have to travel without preparation.
I feel lost when I don't have what I needed to have on the journey or when I get there.

Maybe, it's also that I am getting old & very forgetful now-a-days :-)


Genesis 12:1-9 (*4 - "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him").

I am now reading through the book of Genesis again.
As I was reading through this familiar passage, where God called Abram and the initiation of the covenant promise; I was quite intrigued by Lot's response in vs.4

Abram was going with God, in response to what he had heard. In other words, he was obeying God.
And Lot was going with Abram.

I am sure that God prepared Abram enough to go on this journey; but Lot - he just went on this journey with his Uncle.


And now that's a heck of a lot of difference!

No wonder, when trials came the response from both of them were very different (cf. Chp.13).
Lot moved in the natural; whereas Abram trusted in a God who promised Him many things.

vs.8-10
When they decided to part ways, Lot looked up and saw the plain of Jordan well watered and lush green - the NIV text says, 'like the garden of the Lord'.
And Lot chose the 'BEST LOT' (vs.11). Abram let him have what he wanted.

Though Lot chose the BEST LOT ... God gave Abram the WHOLE LOT (cf. vs.14-17)!

And sometimes, that's the difference between obeying God and following Him; and following someone who follows the Lord.

Now, this throws up a whole new debate on following God's people, quoting Paul here from I Corinthians 11:1 - "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ".

I personally feel, even then we need to hear from the Lord to be doing that.
Ultimately, it's about following the Lord and walking in obedience to His voice.

Who are we going with?
At times, our response to crisis in life, will give away who we are going with.

Hoping against hope?

The word 'hope' is used quite sarcastically in the world today.
For eg: If I say, "I hope to come tomorrow" - it may most probably mean, that i might not come (or) I wish not to come.
It doesn't give a certainty or an assurance which can be guaranteed.
It has a lot of negative connotations to it.
Whereas on the contrary, biblically speaking, HOPE is always the assurance of things to come!
It's something which brightens up our life.
It's something which we live for!

Luke 24:21 - "... but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place".

Here the 2 disciples were on their way back to Emmaus from Jerusalem. It was a long walk (7 miles / 11.2 kms away), but they were willing to take that gruelling walk back, and what more - but with a sense of hopelessness & despair.
Their hope seems to have been dashed.

We see that these 2 disciples had come on a journey this far because of the hope they had. And their expectations were based on that hope - although it was a false 'hope'.
Jesus did not promise what they had hoped for!

On hindsight, these 2 were on the verge of experiencing even something spectacular, when they decided to take that long walk back.
Never mind, how far they had come .. but at the verge of experiencing a new thing, they had given up.

• Where are we today?
• Have we come on a journey expecting something from God?
• Are we disappointed that we are not experiencing that?
• Are we calling it quits, because our hopes are dashed?

Don't give up yet - you may just be on the verge of experiencing His newness in life.

Perhaps your hopes are based on something which is not quite right.
These 2 had a wrong perception of the Messiah - that He was going to literally redeem Israel from the Roman Empire.


The 3rd day after crucifixion was a significant day - it was the day of Resurrection - when the bondage was broken; when the curse over death was shattered.
They even got to hear about the witness from the ladies who had visited the tomb early that day - but because of the pre-conceived idea they had about the Messiah, they couldn't come to grips with what had happened.

Don't quit.
Keep hoping in God.
Keep trusting in His promises.

These 2 disciples had the privilege of having an encounter with the Lord, although they had turned back - but not many have that privilege.

Let's not give up! Let's hope against the hopelessness and despair which the world throws at us.
Let's trust in His promises - promises, based on His Word.

How to Pray?

I find praying boring at times, in fact most of the times :-)
And that's mainly due to the fact; my prayer turns out to be a monologue, without any interaction.

However, when I am talking with friends, I usually do less talking, unless the situation calls me to talk more :-) And that's the nature of my personality.
If such conversation with a friend is a monologue, it usually means the other person is speaking and not me -- and I am not interested in it for too long.
If I am the one who is doing the talking, I can't do it for too long anyway .. as some are in the habit of doing [all the time]!

I 'prefer' a dialogue than a monologue - but that doesn't happen too often in prayer.
When it comes to prayer, I am quick to show the 'one-way' traffic sign.

And the moment I am finished with saying what I wanted to, I sign off.

Usually such things happen because I don't follow any particular method in praying. It's ad hoc!

When such prayer times are finished, I feel like I have finished a 'job' for the day, so I can tick on one more task completed!


A while ago, when I preached on Prayer in a local church here, I was asked the question: "Ok, I know that I need to pray and all that; but how do I pray?"
And this question came from an elder in the church, and not a new believer.

Surprising isn't it?

But when I started to think about it - the question which I was faced with was: DID I KNOW HOW TO PRAY? Or did I just assume, I knew, because I had done it for over 2-3 decades now - albeit on & off :-(

So, I started to put some things together on what is prayer and how to pray - which would help us to get into a discipline of praying regularly.
I seriously feel that unless it's done regularly it doesn't form into a habit. We have to inculcate the value of prayer, by doing that often & experiencing the change it brings to our life.

I am not saying that this is the only way to pray, or is the only way to get started with praying - but it certainly helps us have a meaningful time of prayer.

I have used PRAYER as an acrostic and have expanded it to make it easily memorable, for those who don't have it as a 'bookmark' guide.
To view the bookmark, please click on it, to see an enlarged version.

PRAISE HIM - for who He is / use the Names of God to acknowledge His greatness / worship Him

READ THE WORD - have a regular pattern for reading, otherwise it doesn't happen (meditate on the Word / reflect on what you read and how you can apply it)

APPRECIATE HIS WORKS IN YOUR LIFE - thank Him for what He has done for you

YOUR NEEDS / PERSONAL PRAYER - bring your worries and concerns to God

EXTERNAL NEEDS / ENGAGING IN PRAYER FOR OTHERS - INTERCESSION - pray for your family / friends / church / unsaved neighbours / peers / nation - leaders

RE-COMMIT TO GOD / INVITE GOD TO BE WITH YOU - as Him for strength and ask Him to teach you His ways - invite Him to be with you and commit to walking with Him.

Obedience to God

John 2:7,8 - Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet". They did so.

I sometimes wonder, if I am doing what God wants me to do!
It's a mixture of things which makes me wonder like that:
- am I hearing God right?
- if I did what I believe I heard, then will I see the desired result?

The questions can be unending.
And usually the questions come because I am thinking too much of the implications. And I am just reminded that all God wants me to do is 'come to Him with a child-like faith'.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew that Jesus had the potential to do something extra-ordinary (vs.3), even though He hadn't done anything spectacular up until then.
Though Jesus refused (vs.4); she told the servants to do whatever He tells them to do (vs.5).

In vs.7 - Jesus tells them to fill the jars with water .. and they quickly obey.
No questions asked.
And interestingly, the servants filled it to the 'brim'.
They took Jesus quite literally. Jesus said FILL, and they filled it :-)
Maybe, it could be as a mockery, but nonetheless they did what Jesus asked them to.
Notice, that they made sure that nothing else can be added to it. Even if Jesus had a magic potion, to mix ... it wasn't possible!

And at the very next breath, he says in vs.8 to take it to the master of the banquet.
I am sure the servants should have objected and raised a protest now!
But strangely they didn't!

And it's out of that obedience; we get to read about His first miracle.

Are we waiting for a miracle from God today?
Why not just obey Him as a child?
The more we resist, the difficult it is for us to experience His miraculous touch.

Maybe, you are waiting for a miracle which has never ever happened before - He can do it!
The question is: Are you willing?

Obey Him, doesn't matter how insignificant it may seem.
The miracle is close at hand.

Significant moments in life .. Part 6

Luke 24:13-35 – On the Road to Emmaus (part 2 of 2)

This is part 2of2. In case, you haven't read the earlier post, please read the previous entry: "Significant moments in life .. Part 5".

From this passage, there’s yet another encouraging detail which we could so easily miss: this hapless pair was headed back to their ‘own world’, after witnessing something dramatic – didn’t seem like a significant event such as that, had affected their routine much.

What’s amazing is that these people had their ‘theology’ almost right (vs.19,20) – the only place where it was messed up was where they thought he was going to redeem Israel (vs.21); and what more, they were also up-to-date on the news (vs.22-24) – yet, they failed to recognize and see Jesus!

But once they had their ‘hearts enlightened’ (vs.30-32), they will turn around and immediately go right back to Jerusalem to report their findings (vs.33), to another group of confused lot – the disciples.


What are we confused about today?
Perhaps, we may have a perfect knowledge of who Christ is .. but if our hearts are not enlightened to the truth, then we will be in our own little world, oblivious to the fact, that Christ is walking with us – even when we are headed in the wrong direction!

And He does walk with us and stay with us .. in what seems an ordinary moment.

Let’s be open to receiving from Him, even when we are confused in life.
Those ordinary moments can bring about a historical change in our life.
Such moments can enlighten our hearts to something which the Lord wants to reveal to us.

And as we walk with Him and receive this understanding, we might be able to help others who are confused too!

Significant moments in life .. Part 5

Luke 24:13-35 – On the Road to Emmaus (part 1 of 2)

We just remembered Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday & celebrated His resurrection on Easter Sunday. And while reflecting on that most significant act ever in history, I am astonished yet again to see how an ordinary event can lead to extra-ordinary results.
I have taken the following concept from one of my favourite writers, Jeff Lucas on “Life Every Day”.

The joyous aspect of the resurrection of Jesus is that much of what goes on is just so ORDINARY. Think of it. It’s no hyperbole to say that He has just accomplished the greatest victory in the history of the Universe. Angels must be wondering what He will do next.
A whole six weeks will be spent on earth taking the apostles through the most incredible leadership training programme that has ever been.

But Jesus will also be mistaken for a gardener, a cook – cooking breakfast for some friends returning from a frustrating night shift (cf. John 21:12).

And as we see here, He also takes a walk with some distraught friends. They had experienced something extra-ordinary that evening, which saw them witness one of the greatest events in history.
Vs.15,16 – “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him”.
Though the English translation puts it very mildly that they were kept from recognizing Him, the original word here is ‘krateo’ ~ 'their eyes were kept under arrest or in custody' – the same word used to describe the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane by Matthew & Mark.

Perhaps, tiredness, disappointment, unbelief or a pre-occupation with just getting home after the most difficult week-end meant that Jesus was right there with them and they didn’t notice.

What kind of thoughts are we pre-occupied with today?
Are we tired with life? Are we disappointed the way things are going right now? Do we believe something which is not the truth, and so are under stress?

In the meantime, what is interesting to note is that Jesus journeys with them – which is an encouragement for those who have prodigals “out there”. Jesus is able to walk with them, even if they are headed in a direction which offers them no hope. Jesus ends the day by sharing supper in their home.

Now, all of this looks very pedestrian to me!
That’s the nature of our faith – the extra ordinary God walks with us through the mundane bits of life.

Yes, Jesus washed my sins away .. but I still have to do the cleaning up of the dishes, reconcile my bank statements, struggle through the traffic jams in the city, and do a host of other rather numbing things.

Do we see God active in these roles of our lives, or do we only see God active when we are worshipping Him and while serving Him in ‘sacred’ places?

Significant moments in life ... Part 4

Luke 22:7-13 – 'Preparation for the Last Supper'

As we enter into the Passion Week / Holy Week (the last week before the Crucifixion), we remember the struggles which Christ went through, even before He took upon Himself the sins of the world on the cross.
And I am stunned to know that ordinary times/events in my life, can be a significant contributor to God’s manifold plans for this Universe.
Yes, Christ's work is complete - but, we have a job at hand.


vs.10 – He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters…’

How many of us would dare venture to find a place/location, when the landmark given is not stationary but mobile (a moving object)?
Many of us have trouble finding a place, when the address is clear and directions and landmark are straight forward.

Imagine, if I invite you to my house for a dinner, and I tell you, “Take Bus No.55 and get down at the last stop, walk 10 ft ahead and you will find a cow on the road - well, it’s possible in India, as cows are everywhere :-) and there you take left, until you reach a place where there will be 2 dogs barking (which is also possible in our country), and then 5 ft from there take right, and the house in front of a person riding his cycle is my house”
– with that kind of a direction, will you try to come to my house?
Wouldn't you think I am crazy to give you such a direction to my house?

Here in this passage, we see Jesus precisely doing that as He sends Peter & John to fix a place for them to have their Last Supper, with that kind of a direction in response to their “Where?” question.

Now, interestingly Peter doesn’t have any questions (for once)!
And they both set about their task.
A delayed obedience here would have meant, this ‘landmark’ man wouldn’t be there anymore – because he is moving!

What is even more interesting is that, this man doesn’t even know what’s going to happen, when he is going about his regular mundane job of fetching water. He was NOT commissioned to be Peter & John’s guide or to bring them home. He was just about his ‘menial’ work, and very faithfully at that, if I may add.
That turns out to be a very decisive pointer for Peter & John to find the house and organize ‘The Last Supper’.

This man who was carrying the water jar – could his movement have been orchestrated by God?

Sometimes we need to go about doing things, which we need to do in life.
Who knows, as we are faithfully discharging our duties, it might be a pointer for someone else, in their walk with God.
Hence the need to go about our work - in other words, MIND OUR BUSINESS, before someone else says that to us :-)

Yes, God is Sovereign, but that doesn’t relieve us of certain jobs. Let’s carry our water jars, as it were!!